Delayed upgrades to a busy London commuter line will leave passengers “packed like sardines” on fewer trains.
The number of Overground services between Barking and Gospel Oak will be halved to two per hour on weekdays from next Monday, March 18.
Manufacturer Bombardier has struggled to overcome software problems to deliver a new fleet of sophisticated electric trains, which had been scheduled to enter service last year. It has forced Overground bosses to run a mixture of six diesel and modified-electric trains on the line.
But three of the diesel trains must now be returned to West Midlands Trains, which agreed to lease them after Transport for London signed the Bombardier deal four years ago. It has left passengers facing fewer services and with no idea when the new trains will arrive.
The route is vital for commuters from east London, who can connect to both Victoria and District line services.
One commuter said: “The train is packed anyway. Now it’s gonna be too rammed to get on it.” Another said: “We will be packed on like sardines.”
Jon Fox, TfL’s director of rail and sponsored services, apologised saying: “We share our customers’ frustration.
“The manufacturer continues to solve software issues and we hope that driver training will start in earnest soon, which will bring us a step closer to introducing the new trains.” It claimed that running a reduced timetable with three, four-car trains would ensure that “overall capacity will remain the same”.
Nicknamed the Goblin (Gospel Oak-to-Barking line), the route has been beset by delays and cancellations since the £133 million electrification project began in June 2016.
Blunders included incorrect pylon designs and the late delivery of construction materials, delaying works by Network Rail. The line was also closed for about 10 months during the works.
Last month, it was announced that Bombardier would give passengers on the line “a month of free travel” once the new trains were introduced, although the details have yet to be finalised.
A spokesman for Bombardier said: “We are completing the last software tests and once regulatory approval has been secured, and driver training has sufficiently progressed, passenger service can begin on the line.”
